Office of Graduate Medical Education

USA Health is committed to the safety and well-being of its residents and fellows as we respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The USA Health PPE Governance Committee with housestaff representation was established to ensure conservation and availability of PPE for all USA Health employees. We recognize the importance of strict compliance with ACGME work hours as an important component of the safety and well-being of our residents and fellows as we continue to navigate this global pandemic. The GMEC Well-being Subcommittee, which includes peer-selected residents and fellows, is focusing on building a robust institution-wide well-being program that supports all of our trainees.

The USA Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC) oversees all graduate medical education training programs at USA Health. The GMEC is chaired by the Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education and Designated Institutional Official (DIO) and the alternate DIO serves as the vice-chair of the committee. The Program Directors and Associate Program Directors of the GME training programs, representative core faculty, USA Health staff, and peer-selected residents and fellows serve on the Committee. The GMEC meets on the first Tuesday of each month, except for the month of July.

The purpose of the GMEC Well-being Subcommittee is to promote the psychological, emotional, and physical well being of the housestaff, physician educators, and GME staff. Further, the subcommittee monitors compliance with ACGME requirements in the area of resident and fellow well being and fatigue mitigation.

The GMEC Well-being Subcommittee is committed to promoting the physical, mental and emotional well being of the faculty, housestaff, and staff in the GME programs at USA. We acknowledge the challenges that lead to burnout, depression and suicide, and we work to assist physicians as they strive for personal balance, professional fulfillment, and joy in their vocation.

Well-being Contacts

When you feel that you need to seek support, you should reach out to one of the following:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

• Website: suicidepreventionlifeline.org
• Hotline: (800) 273-8255 (1-800-273-TALK)
• Crisis text line: Text HOME to 741-741

Local Resources

• Your department chair or GME program director
• Judy Blair-Elortegui, M.D., interim associate dean for graduate medical education, at (251) 471-7206
• Counseling services (no cost to housestaff) through the USA Health Employee Assistance Program:
  Julie A. Graham, LPC CADC
  jbarker@southalabama.edu
  Phone: (251) 461-1346
• Psychiatric Services (no cost to housestaff)
  Bayview Professional Associates, Dr. Hal Veits
  105 Montlimar Drive, Suite A-210, Mobile, Alabama
  Appointments available Thursdays, 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., and Fridays, 12 - 5 p.m.
  Phone: (251) 660-2384 (Identify yourself as a resident or fellow when scheduling an appointment.)

Well-being Resources

Physician Well-being

1. Stress Management Tips for Healthcare Workers
2. Mitigating Care Giver Burnout and Compassion Fatigue
3. Mindfulness and Meditation
   1. Guided meditations
      1. Yoga Nidra 20 Minute Guided Meditation
      2. Guided Meditations from Tara Brach
   2. Ten Percent Happier Coronavirus Sanity Guide (free resources)
   3. Mindfulness and Meditation apps
      1. Calm
      2. Buddhify (completely free)
      3. InsightTimer (completely free with thousands of guided meditations):
      4. Liberate is a meditation app for people of color
4. Resources for Stress, Depression and Anxiety:
   • Mood Tools
   • Breathe2Relax
   • Panic Relief
   • Coronavirus anxiety resources
5. Trouble Sleeping?
   • Try CBT-1 Coach. This app will guide you through the process of learning about sleep, developing positive sleep routines, and improving your sleep environment. It provides a structured program that teaches strategies proven to improve sleep and help alleviate symptoms of insomnia.
6. Music for Stress Relief
   • There’s something for almost everyone at NPR Music.
7. Need someone to talk to?
   • Contact the USA employee assistance program counselor:
     Julie A. Graham, LPC CADC
     Employee Assistance Program
     jbarker@southalabama.edu
     Phone: (251) 461-1346
8. AMA Resources for physicians during COVID-19
9. National Academy of Medicine Physician Well-being Resources
10. Well-Being in the Time of COVID-19 from ACGME
11. National Center for PTSD: COVID COACH [PDF]
12. ACGME Resident Well-being Resources
13. JagFIT@South well-being program
14. "USA Daily Digest" University-wide emails
    • Be sure to monitor the USA Daily Digest emails distributed via your USA Health email account. Some items may apply as support services and important information for residents.
15. USA Benefits & Wellness
16. Wellness at South
17. JagFIT@South
18. The Ten Commandments of Physician Wellness by Edward J. Krall, MD
19. Charter on Physician Well-being

Additional Resources for Families

1. CDC Guide: Household preparedness for Coronavirus
2. Parenting During Coronavirus
3. Talking to Your Kids about Coronavirus
4. Educational Resources for Kids
   • Scholastic Learn at Home
   • Updates from Mobile County Public Schools
5. Virtual Travel: Travel + Leisure's virtual tours of famous museums
6. Financial Well-being
   • Jay Weinberg's Financial Wellness for Residents and Fellows
   • Information on delay in tax payments for those that apply
   • Information on delay in federal student loan payments - RHT

Self-Screening Tools

• Self Help from USA Counseling and Testing Services
• Anonymous Online Self-Tests from JagFIT@South

5th Friday Celebration

“5th Friday Celebration” is an ongoing initiative sponsored by the USA GME Office and USA Health to honor those in residency and fellowship training for their dedication to patient care, USA Health and the medical field. Fifth Friday celebrations, held during months with a “5th Friday” over the course of the academic year, provide an opportunity for residents and fellows to interact and celebrate their contributions to our health system.

Free Cab Service for Residents and Fellows Too Fatigued to Safely Return Home After Work

To request a cab:

1. Call the hospital operator at 415-1000.
2. Provide the operator your name, home address and where you would like to be picked up. (Pick up locations include USA Health University Hospital and USA Health Children’s and Women’s Hospital.)
3. Approximately 20 minutes after your call, vouchers for your ride home and a return trip to retrieve your car will be available from the lobby staff at the hospital where you will be picked up.
4. To retrieve your vehicle, call the number for the cab company on the return voucher and present the voucher to the cab driver when he/she picks you up.

Lactation Facility Locations

USA Health University Hospital

• Room #455, on the 4th floor near Physical Therapy

USA Health Children’s and Women’s Hospital

• Room #2185, near the NICU
• Room #4161, near the Peds Tower

USA Health Strada Patient Care Center

• 1st floor Peds waiting room

USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute

• Room #2006

Visiting Student Diversity Scholarship

The University of South Alabama Department of Surgery is proud to offer a Visiting Student Diversity Scholarship to provide support for fourth-year medical students interested in participating in a four-week surgical Acting-Internship at our academic medical center. The mission of the scholarship is to expose medical students from underrepresented backgrounds to the General Surgery training program in the Department of Surgery at USA. Learn more about the Visiting Student Diversity Scholarship and apply to the program.

GME Office Staff

Judy Blair-Elortegui, M.D.
Interim Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education (GME); ACGME Designated Institutional Official (DIO); and Chair, Graduate Medical Education Committee
jblair@health.southalabama.edu

Jill Garcia
GME Institutional Accreditation Specialist
jsgarcia@health.southalabama.edu

Tomeika Hawkins
GME Institutional Accreditation Specialist
thawkins@health.southalabama.edu

Danielle Haynes
GME Institutional Accreditation Specialist
daniellehaynes@health.southalabama.edu

Laura Kessler
GME Institutional Accreditation Specialist 
lkessler@health.southalabama.edu

GME Office Functions

• GME Committee Meetings
• Program Coordinator Meetings and Workshops
• Institutional Policies
• ACGME Accreditation
• National Residency Matching Program (NRMP)
• Program Letters of Agreement
• New Innovations
• American Medical Association GME Competency Education Program
• Verification of Training Status

Verification of Training

The Graduate Medical Education office can assist with requests for training verifications. The turnaround time is generally 10-14 days. Requests to the GME Office can be made via the following methods: 

• In Person: The GME office is located in the Mastin Patient Care Center (directly behind University Hospital) in Room 212. Our hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 
• U.S. Mail: Graduate Medical Education, 2451 University Hospital Drive, 212 Mastin Patient Care Center, Mobile, AL 36617-2293
• Email: jsgarcia@health.southalabama.edu, thawkins@health.southalabama.edu, daniellehaynes@health.southalabama.edu or lkessler@health.southalabama.edu

NOTE: Programs may charge a service fee for training verification requests for alumni who completed training 5 or more years ago.